A day after his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave an interview overnight (Tuesday to Wednesday) to Fox News, addressing a wide range of diplomatic and security issues. Echoing statements made by both leaders at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, Netanyahu reiterated that Hamas must be disarmed in Gaza, warned that Iran is rearming and endangering Israel, and expressed hope for agreements with Saudi Arabia and Syria.
At the start of the interview with anchor and commentator Bret Baier, Netanyahu said that "Israel emerged from the seven-front war foisted on us as the most powerful country in the Middle East” and praised “the tremendous alliance we have with President Trump.” Asked why it has been difficult to move to Phase II of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Netanyahu said: “Hamas committed to disarm. It has 20,000 fighters with Kalashnikov rifles. They execute anyone who opposes them. They kill many Palestinians. In total, they have 60,000 guns.”
A new government in Gaza? 'If Hamas is disarmed'
Netanyahu stressed the need to dismantle the terrorist organization’s military capabilities. “You have to take all those weapons and dismantle the hundreds of kilometers of terror tunnels. Hamas refuses to do this, but I think we need to give it a chance,” he said. According to Netanyahu, “there have been attempts to establish an international force, which so far have not succeeded. If it can be done the easy way, fine. And if not, it will be done another way.”
Asked about disagreements with Trump, Netanyahu said: ““We saw eye to eye. He cut right to the chase. He agrees that Hamas must be disarmed. I didn’t hear any frustration from the president. He understands.”
Netanyahu also expanded on the situation in Gaza. “We want to see that Gaza’s territory is not used to launch terror. Israel must have security control over the area.” Asked whether there would be a new governing authority in Gaza, he replied: “A new government is possible if you disarm Hamas, because no government will arise if Hamas shoots it in the head. If we disarm Hamas, whether with an international force or by any other means, yes, I see a different future for Gaza. The point here is not to negotiate with Hamas… Their job is to vanish, stop, no more. And you know who wants it more than anyone else? The people of Gaza.”
On settler violence in the West Bank, Netanyahu said it involved “about 70 kids. They’re not from the West Bank.” Asked about riots and property damage by settlers, he responded: “I can’t accept that. That’s vigilantism. I’m taking that out. People try to draw a comparison between them and thousands of terrorists. Settlers are attacked while driving on the roads. There is no symmetry. I am making a great effort to stop these rioters. And even if it’s not symmetrical, I want peaceful coexistence between the Israelis and the Palestinians who live in Judea and Samaria, which is part of our ancestral homeland."
'Iran has resumed missile production. Nuclear? They’re trying'
Netanyahu was also asked about Iran’s efforts to rebuild its nuclear and missile programs. “The president was correct when he said that Fordow was obliterated, so they're trying other sites. They'll try that. They also are trying to recover their ballistic missile production facility,” Netanyahu said, adding, “We set them back considerably on both areas, but, yeah, they'll try. And I think the president was right to tell them, ‘hey, don't, don't’. That's basically what his message was.”
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Netanyahu on Iran: "I hope they don't make the mistake
(Photos: Dana Koppel, WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters, Sepahnews/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“And I think with Iran, the real issue is they should accept the fact that they shouldn't have enrichment, nuclear enrichment capability. They should take out all the material that they've already enriched, take it out of Iran and have inspections,” Netanyahu said.
On Iran, Baier asked Netanyahu to speculate on the chances that Israel or the U.S. will have to strike Iran again. “Two weeks ago I was presented with information that Iran was conducting tests trying to launch ballistic missiles at Israel. I said if you dare do that, you know, the results would be devastating. So I hope Iran doesn't make that mistake," Netanyahu replied. "They are resuming production. Regarding the nuclear program, they are trying. I’m not sure they’ve decided to cross the line because they heard Trump’s warnings. They have to choose. We are not looking for escalation, and I hope they aren’t either.”
Netanyahu was also asked about talks toward an arrangement with Syria under President Ahmad al-Sharaa, and about prospects for normalization with Saudi Arabia. “I think it’s possible,” he said. On the Lebanese front, Netanyahu claimed that “Hezbollah today is a shadow of its former self,” and added that “Hamas and Iran are also no longer what they were.” According to him, “people are open to peace agreements with the Saudis and others, including Muslim countries outside the Middle East, which are very interested because Israel is a strong military power.”
On Syria, Netanyahu addressed Trump’s support for al-Sharaa, saying: “He wants to give them a chance, but half of the army are jihadists. We want to see whether it’s possible to have different relations. “We’d like to see if we can have a different relationship with them. We have talks, which we never had with the Assad regime.”
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US President Donald Trump meets Syrian President President Ahmad al-Sharaa in the White House
Netanyahu also addressed his ongoing corruption trial. “I’ve been under investigation for 10 years. This is a political trial,” he said. “The president was right to call for a pardon. They said that I received a bribe… favorable coverage in a third-rate Internet site. That’s the bribe.”
The judges called the prosecutors and told them, ‘The prime minister did not receive positive coverage. He received negative coverage, so you need to strike the bribery charge.’ On the first day of cross-examination they tell me: ‘Twenty-nine years ago your son received a Bugs Bunny doll.’ That’s what they’re cross-examining. And about cigars I received from a friend. That's the trial. So it's ridiculous. It's been dissolving."
Regarding Trump’s claim that he spoke with President Isaac Herzog, who allegedly told him that “the pardon is on the way,” Netanyahu said: “I don’t know about their conversations. But I do know the president is a great friend. He knows this is ridiculous.”